1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to the field of horticulture and, more particularly, to an adjustable framework for supporting growing plants, such as tomato, pepper and other plants whose stalks or branches have a tendency to bend or break due to the weight of the vegetable, fruit or flower growing thereon.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many plants benefit from the availability of a vertical support framework sized to the plant that can protect the plant from shear stress that might otherwise break the plant's stalk or branches. This framework can be as simple as a vertical pole to which the plant is tied, or can be much more complex, with cross bars and upright ribs that form a latticework or wire cage to support the plant. Such framework is particularly useful for tomato plants, pepper plants and similar plants with heavy vegetables, fruit or flowers growing thereon.
Preassembled wire cages for plant support are awkward to use and unwieldy to store. Typically, they must be placed around the plant at an early stage in its growth as they are difficult to place on the plant after it has reached a larger size. However, while the plant is small, the wire cages dwarf the plant, creating an unsightly appearance. Later, the plant may outgrow the cage, necessitating its removal and replacement with a larger cage which, again, can be difficult to place on the plant.
A plant kit assembly directed to solving the problems with wire cages while providing support to plants is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,188,448 (“the '448 patent”), which is owned by the assignee of the present application, Woodstream Corporation. The disclosure of the '448 patent is expressly incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth.
In the '448 patent, a removable clip device having a beam portion with C-shaped clamps on each end is used to secure two adjacent plant stakes in a spaced relationship that is determined by the length of the beam. The clip devices can be easily installed and removed, allowing the diameter of the framework surrounding the plant to be adjusted by adding additional stakes and/or by changing the relative angles between the stakes. The spacing between the stakes cannot be adjusted, however, as the beam portion has a fixed length. This can create a problem when the plant structure or other factors make it difficult to space the stakes in accordance with the beam length.
Another problem that is often encountered is difficulty in installing the plant stakes that serve to anchor the support framework. In most cases a hammer or mallet is required to pound the stakes into the ground. When the plant is large with well-developed branches that extend outwardly, it can be difficult to swing the hammer freely enough to apply the force necessary to drive the stakes without risking damage to the plant. Also, tall stakes can be difficult to drive into the ground as it is often difficult to achieve the necessary downward force on the top of the stake to obtain a substantially vertical driving orientation, e.g., the stake flexes from the impact rather than penetrating deeper into the ground.